Companions in Christ

I'm glad you can join us for this Tuesday edition of Our Daily Bread. Today's reading was written by Glenn Pacchium, and he titled it Companions in Christ. The Harvard study of adult development is a decades-long project that's resulted in a greater understanding of the importance of healthy relationships. The research began with a group of 268 sophomores at Harvard University in the 1930s, and later expanded to, among others, 456 Boston inner-city residents.

Researchers have conducted interviews with the participants and pored over their medical records every few years. They discovered that close relationships are the biggest factor in predicting happiness and health. It turns out that if we surround ourselves with the right people, we'll likely experience a deeper sense of joy. This appears to reflect what the apostle Paul is describing in Philippians 1. Writing from prison, Paul can't help but tell his friends that he thanks God for them every time he remembers them, praying with joy.

But these aren't just any friends. These are brothers and sisters in Jesus who share in God's grace, partners in the gospel with Paul. Their relationship was one of sharing and mutuality, a true fellowship shaped by God's love and the gospel itself. Yes, friends are important, but fellow companions in Christ are catalysts of a true and deep joy. The grace of God can bind us together like nothing else, and even through the darkest seasons of life, the joy that comes from that bond will last.

Today's Our Daily Bread devotional scripture reading is from Philippians chapter 1, verses 3 through 8. I thank my God every time I remember you. In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this, that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It is right for me to feel this way about all of you since I have you in my heart and whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus. Let's pray. Dear Lord, our lives are so filled with constant action and distractions that we often neglect our important relationships, especially those in which you are at the center. We thank you for the gift of friendship and ask for your help in deepening the bonds we have with others. May our relationships with others lead to an even deeper relationship with you. Thank you, Lord. It's in Jesus' name we pray. Amen.